


The Four Times Arin Didn't Understand

by Badassium1970



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-07-12 05:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7086490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badassium1970/pseuds/Badassium1970
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan has been in love with Arin for a long time but Arin can't see that even when Dan tells him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Four Times Arin Didn't Understand

**Author's Note:**

> Original characters aren't based on real people, if they're names are associated with anyone the Grumps know (which in this one I'm pretty sure the name is) that is not intentional.

Dan had been in love with Arin for a long time, probably since the first few weeks they had started doing Game Grumps together. Dan had never felt strongly towards girls, and sure he’d had a few thoughts about guys that may have been slightly romantic or sexual but the thoughts and feelings were never strong enough for him to properly acknowledge them. 

At first Dan was scared of the feelings he had towards the younger Grump. He was in his thirties, he didn’t think he would have anything left to discover about himself, especially his sexuality. His fear made him shield up slightly when Arin made gay jokes directed at him, but now he was making a lot of those same jokes towards his co-host and friend, no longer afraid. 

The only thing he was afraid of was Arin finding out about his feelings, yet he longed to tell Arin how he felt. The conflict in his mind felt like a war and in the end he decided that telling Arin was the best idea, well it would at least help Dan think a little bit clearer, since he hadn’t been able to think straight, no pun intended, in a long time.   
The two men had just finished recording an episode of Pokémon, in which Arin admitted to having a bit of a crush on some guy years ago. Now Arin seemed a lot less confident compared to how he was when recording.

“Hey buddy, what’s up?” 

Arin swallowed hard.

“I, I’ve been thinking lately about that kind of stuff, I mean I always got called gay and shit in high school and it made me feel shitty so I repressed my feelings but now I feel like I don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Dan’s heart felt as if it was swelling up due to the hope Arin was feeding it.

“Arin, what do you mean?”

“I’m… I’m bi Dan… This… This doesn’t change anything does it?”

Dan smiled at his younger friend.

“Of course not.”

Dan saw his chance, now that he knew his friend could feel the same way as he did.

“I love you.” 

There it was, out in the open. Arin now held the reins.

“Thanks buddy, I love you too man.”

Arin hugged his best friend as his heart began to hurt; it seemed that Arin only viewed him as a friend.

The next time Dan told Arin he loved him was at a New Year’s party. The two men were the only people not drinking, but no one was particularly drunk anyway.

“So, you got anyone to kiss at midnight?” Arin teased.

Dan shook his head, over the years he had kissed girls he had no interest in at the stroke of midnight, but tonight he just couldn’t bring himself to keep up the façade.

“Aw, sorry man, you know I would totally kiss you but I’ve had my eye on that guy over there.”

Dan looked over to where Arin was pointing.

“Ross?” Dan questioned surprised.

Arin let out a laugh at that.

“No, the guy talking to Ross, I mean Ross is kinda cute I guess but it’d be weird.”

Dan nodded feeling slightly uncomfortable; he kind of hoped Arin would be his New Year’s kiss this year.

“Hey man, you know I find you cute too, don’t be jealous.” Arin giggled, kissing Dan’s cheek.

“I’m not jealous! I know I’m cuter than Ross,” Dan joked, knowing that Ross’s little baby face had him beat in any cuteness contest.

Arin went to respond when the countdown started.

“TEN!”

“Shit dude, I’ll catch you later.”

“NINE!”

“Wait Arin,” Dan called.  
"EIGHT!"

“SEVEN!”  
Arin turned quickly.

“I love you.”  
"SIX!"  
“I love you too man, what’s with the sudden declares of affection, you’re like a puppy that needs to be reassured he’s loved, it’s cute.”

With that Arin left, leaving Dan alone, feeling pathetic.

“FIVE! FOUR"

Dan watched Arin make his way to the undeniably handsome man. Dan tried to ignore them yet he couldn’t tear his eyes away as people continued to count down. 

“THREE! TWO! ONE!” 

The sound of people cheering rang through Dan’s ears but it was all white noise as he watched the man he loved kiss some unknown guy.

During the Mario Party 10 play through, almost a year later, Dan’s emotions slipped though while they were recording due to nostalgia hitting him.

“Stay with me forever Arin.” 

Dan wasn’t thinking when he let those words out but he quickly covered his feelings up and the two were making dick jokes not even three minutes later. 

Arin won the game and after a few last comments he turned the capture off.

“Hey Dan you okay? You got pretty emotional there.”

Dan smiled.

“Yeah man, I just love this job… I love you.”

Dan’s heart was racing; just like it had the last times he told Arin he loved him.

“I know how you feel man, I love you too.”

Arin again, did not fully comprehend Dan’s feelings. Dan wanted to explain, but began to feel as if it was not meant to be.

Of course Dan’s heart was in pain from all his pining, but the first time his heart truly broke was when Arin started dating someone.

His name was Nathan, and sure he was handsome but Dan could tell straight away that he was using Arin for sex, fame and money.

Dan tried to like Nathan, he really did but he just couldn’t. He knew he could treat Arin better.

One time when Dan and Arin were writing Starbomb lyrics while Brian was away, Dan fell ill and Arin insisted he stay in his guest room. That night Nathan came over and Dan realised just how thin the walls of Arin’s house were. 

He could hear every sound, every moan, and every whimper. It felt like he was being stabbed each time he heard them.

Needless to say Dan didn’t get any sleep that night.

Nathan didn’t stay with Arin for long, after a month he realised that Arin wasn’t going to give him fame in the way he wanted, and he certainly wasn’t going to get rich from their relationship, as for sex, he could get that elsewhere.

Arin was heartbroken and all of his friends looked after him, especially Dan and everyone understood why, not that they told Dan they knew about his crush.

“Dan, thank you for looking after me, I’m sure you have better things to do.”

Dan who was currently playing with Arin’s hair smiled.

“I’d do anything for you Big Cat.”

Arin turned round and hugged him.

“Thank you,” he whispered into Dan’s neck, making Dan blush at the feeling of Arin’s warm breath.

Dan hugged him back before making him turn so he could keep playing with Arin’s hair, creating small braids.

“Dude, what’d with your obsession with my hair?” Arin laughed.

Dan shrugged.

“It’s soft, almost silky. I just really like it I guess.”

“I’m pretty sure this isn’t what guys do when they stay over each other’s house,” Arin joked as Dan continued braiding Arin’s hair.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is what girls do,” Dan mused.

“Totally. Man girls have this shit figured out, like next we’ll be talking about our crushes.”

Dan suddenly went still, making Arin smirk.

“Dan, who you crushin’ on?” Arin teased.

“No one.” Dan’s tone would have been defensive if he didn’t sound so nervous.

Arin turned his head to give a look that told Dan he wasn’t going to give up until he found out.

“Come on man, who is she? Is it Suzy? Dude, please tell me it’s not Holly, Ross would kill you.”

Dan covered Arin’s mouth with his hand before he had the chance to make any more guesses. It was time for him to know the truth.

“Arin, I’m not… I’m gay.”

Somehow finally saying that lifted a great weight off of Dan’s shoulders.

Dan removed his hand from Arin’s mouth. Arin looked surprised but smiled fondly at his friend.

“Oh, okay, thanks for telling me, I know it must have been hard,” Arin spoke kindly.

“I just have to warn you, dating guys sucks just as much as dating girls,” Arin sighed, feeling a wave of depression hit him.

“Not everyone is like Nathan. You’ll find someone better Big Cat.”

Arin gave his friend a small, sad smile.

“I hope you’re right Dan… I… I really cared about him.”

Dan wanted to find that asshole and beat the shit out of him but he knew he wouldn’t achieve anything positive out of it.

“Someone will treat you better… I could treat you better.”

Again Dan’s feelings were exposed for Arin to see.

“Too bad we’re not dating,” Arin joked, oblivious to how serious Dan was being.

“Yeah, too bad,” Dan pretended to laugh along with the younger man.

Dan fell into a state of depression after that. It was clear that Arin would never understand, or maybe he just chose to be ignorant to spare Dan’s feelings.

Arin may not have understood Dan’s romantic feelings for him, however he was not oblivious to the fact that his best friend was in a bad place.

Arin organised a small party consisting of the Grump crew to cheer Dan up. Suzy even made a cake.

Everything seemed to be going well, Dan was happily joking around with the others. Ross was telling a story about a game of seven minutes in heaven he played when he was in school and the bottle refused to land on him.

“You know, I’ve never played seven minutes in heaven or any shit like that before,” Dan thought out loud.

“Dude, we should totally play,” Barry commented, discreetly eyeing up Vernon, the newest edition to the Grump crew.

It didn’t take long for the game to begin, a few people bailed out but most were cool with potentially making out with their co-workers, and besides it wasn’t like you had to do anything in the closet.

First up to spin the bottle was Ross who landed on Brian and Ross was more than ecstatic, practically dragging Brian into the coat closet.

After they were informed their seven minutes were up they both emerged from the closet. Ross looked dishevelled, his hair a mess and his neck covered in pink marks that would soon darken. Brian on the other hand looked the same.

Next up was Barry, who barely pushed the bottle to make sure it landed on Vernon, and when the two came back they were holding hands.

Dan was next to spin, and it landed on Brian, who was currently busy attacking Ross’s neck again. Clearly they were no longer playing.

The other’s found it weird how calm Holly was about this.

“We have an open marriage, ever since I noticed how much Ross loves Brian,” Holly explained when she noticed everyone was staring at her.

Dan spun again, landing on Arin.

“Sweet dude!” Arin exclaimed, rising to his feet.

Dan nervously made his way to the closet with Arin.

“Wanna make a big show out of it?” 

Dan shook his head.

“I’m not really in the mood for a big show,” Dan muttered softly.

“Okay… uh… I’m going to kiss you now, okay?” 

Before Dan could even say anything Arin’s lips were on his. This felt like everything he had dreamed of yet as he kissed Arin back he knew he this didn’t actually mean anything to the younger man, he wasn’t gaining anything.

As Arin lowered his lips kissing Dan’s jaw he heard a sob escape Dan’s mouth. The older man was crying, had he been crying the whole time?

“Dan, I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t think….”

Dan held up his hand to signal that Arin should stop talking.

“I know you don’t think, you never think Arin. I love you and I thought I was making it obvious but you’ve never noticed.”

“Dan… why didn’t you just tell me?” 

Dan clenched his fists in anger.

“I did tell you, multiple times. Once after you told me you were bi and I said “I love you,” but you thought I meant it as a friend, then again at the New Year’s party, I told you and you went and kissed that other guy. Then when we played Mario Party and I asked you to stay with me forever. The last time I told you was after Nathan broke up with you and I said “I could treat you better" and you said, “too bad we’re not dating. Four times, I’ve told you I love you four times and yet you never understand and I’m done. I keep telling myself I’ll get over you but it’s been practically three years and I still love you.”

Dan went to leave but Arin caught his wrist.

“Dan, I’m sorry I never understood. I was just trying to ignore anything that could give me hope.”

“Arin, what are you…?”

“I always got jealous when I saw you with girls at Ninja Sex Party shoots, and I wondered why for a while but after that Pokémon episode I realised that how I felt for that guy… it’s how I feel about you but so much stronger.”

“Arin, you don’t have to make up this shit to make me feel better.”

Arin frowned.

“Dan, I’m not making this up, I love you and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“What about Nathan?” Dan asked coldly.

“I… yes I had strong feelings for him, but mostly I loved him for distracting me from my feelings for you.”

Arin swallowed, taking Dan’s hand in his own.

“Dan, I love you.”

Dan smiled the first genuine smile Arin had seen on the older man’s face in a while.

“I love you too Arin.”

The two men shared a kiss before there was a knock on the door.

“Okay guys, seven minutes is up,” Suzy’s sweet voice called before opening the door.

The game ceased after that and Dan and Arin cuddled on the couch.

“Congrats guys,” Ross commented; his neck was now covered in purple patches, a very little amount of his original skin tone left.

“Yeah, jeez Arin I thought you would never understand,” Barry stated, as the others nodded.

“Wait, you all knew?” Dan questioned.

“Of course, it was pretty obvious,” Brian remarked.

Dan blushed, burying his head into Arin’s neck. He never realised how obvious he was. 

Arin held Dan closer to him.

“Man I feel stupid now.”

“You know now, that’s all that matters,” Dan whispered, feeling a lot better. Arin finally understood, that was what was most important.


End file.
